City ends downtown right turn restrictions near bike lanes

A street corner in downtown Saskatoon seen on June 9, 2017. (Chris Vandenbreekel/650 CKOM)

The city is making changes for the final season the protected bike lanes pilot project.

Turning right on a red light onto 4th Avenue and 23rd Street is no longer restricted, a move made after criticism from drivers.

Instead, new signs placed closer to the roadway are instructing drivers to yield to bicycles at intersections.

The city said they’ve also improved the visibility of “bike boxes” at intersections by re-painting them and installing signage, giving drivers more warning of where a bicycler will be when they intend to make a left-hand turn.

The bike lanes at intersections along 4th Avenue have also been adjusted to make bicycles more visible to drivers.

This summer marks the end of the city’s protected bike lane demonstration project. At the end of the season, administration will release a report recommending whether to continue — and possibly expand — protected bike lanes in Saskatoon.